Pandagon is daily opinion blog covering feminism, politics, and pop culture. Come for the politics, stay for the complete lack of patience for the B.S. and bad faith coming from conservative leaders and pundits.

Middle Class Testimonial

Have John McCain learn how many homes he/his wife/his vault of goblins owns, and stick with that number. Have him learn how many cars he owns, what’s in his bank account, what other assets his family has. Don’t hide behind his wife or Tony Rezko or anyone else. And for God’s sake, don’t let his brother talk at all.

But Joe McCain said, “it’s important to know that, from the time we could talk until the time he’s at the Naval Academy, we were on allowances like everybody else. We lived in rental housing. We never owned a home. We were taking school busses. We were taking the old streetcars (with) tokens. So that’s the life that we grew up in.”

Although none of that actually means that the McCains were growing up middle class, it at least sounds like it, in that Bill O’Reilly “we never ordered appetizers” kind of way.

Then Joe keeps talking:

“The person who took care of all the business was my mother,” he said. “My father had no idea about the family business, what oil leases he owned in Oklahoma.”

Joe McCain, who makes his home in Washington’s Northern Virginia suburbs, chuckled when recalling that “one time, she bought a house to remodel” in Southeast Washington while “he was at sea.”

Joe then guffawed at the time they got bad service at the local Italian restaurant, then his mom bought the place, fired the staff and turned it into a candle shop. You might know it, it’s called “Yankee Candle”? Just a small store. A side business. A side to a side business, really.

About the Author

Jesse Taylor is an attorney and blogger from the great state of Ohio. He founded Pandagon in July, 2002, and has also served on the campaign and in the administration of former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. He focuses on politics, race, law and pop culture, as well as the odd personal digression when the mood strikes.